SIDEBAR

THE SCOOP

Oshawa Generals netminder Daniel Altshuller picked up his league-leading 32nd win of the season, turning aside 22 of the 23 shots he faced on Sunday. His night wasn't as busy as Peterborough's Michael Giugovaz, who was peppered with 52 shots. Giugovaz was named the game's second star ... Just 13 seconds into the game, Oshawa's Justice Dundas and Peterborough's Derek Mathers dropped the gloves ... Crowds are getting bigger in anticipation of the playoffs. Sunday's crowd was announced at 5,985 ... The Generals return home Friday when they host Brampton at 7:35 p.m.

OSHAWA -- There is a little intrigue in Scott Sabourin's game-winning goal on Sunday night against the Peterborough Petes that brings into question the honesty of the overage forward.

Did he deflect the Lucas Lessio shot that squirted through Peterborough netminder Michael Giugovaz, eventually leading to a 4-1 win for the Oshawa Generals, or did the shot deflect off of him?

If it's the first option, he was due some praise for his deft hand-eye coordination. If it was the latter, well, there's always some good-natured kidding from teammates that ensues about being a pinata.

Turns out it was a little bit of both.

"It hit the shaft of my stick and then went right off my shin pad and sort of bounced in five-hole," said Sabourin of the power-play goal with 10:15 left in the game that broke a 1-1 tie. The shot originated from Lessio, who snapped it at the net with Sabourin parked in front.

It was the first of two that Sabourin would score, credited with another with just 29 seconds left in the game when he flipped a loose puck over Giugovaz following a tremendous amount of pressure applied by the Generals in the Peterborough zone. But turns out Sabourin had something to confess about that one, claiming it deflected off Lessio's glove before going in.

"We sort of reversed our roles and took credit for each other's goals," said the game's first star with a laugh.

The Sabourin goals were sandwiched around a beauty by Cole Cassels, who dangled a couple of Peterborough defenders before deking Giugovaz and tucking the puck between his pads. Tyler Biggs opened the scoring on a long rebound in the first period, and Peterborough's Chase Hatcher replied in the second to even the game at one each.

The goals by Sabourin extended a personal point scoring streak to eight games, upping his point totals to 29-18-47 on the season. With just eight games remaining in the regular season, he realizes his junior career is winding down, and is making the most of this final run.

"I've been playing junior hockey for five years and it's coming down to my last (few) games," he said. "It's nice to know I've had a good game and put it all out there on the line.

"It will be nice to look back and reflect on it and know that I did well out there."

With just eight games left, and teams jockeying for final playoff position, coach D.J. Smith is looking for his team to commit to the defensive side of the game before the puck drops on the post-season.

"I'm more concerned about how we play defensively, where we're giving up chances. I thought our last couple games we did a very good job of that," he said.

"The big thing for me is the defensive side of the puck. We don't want to give up odd man rushes. We want to make sure we are establishing forechecks, getting discipline, because it's hard to get in the playoffs and turn it on."

Another game will come off in the countdown tonight when the Generals (35-21-1-3) travel to Kingston (23-29-2-3).